The Long Weekend: ‘Paper Moon,’ ‘Quiet on Set’ and ‘If That’s What It Takes’
I hope everyone has been supporting our men’s and women’s basketball teams as they compete in the March Madness tournament. I assume we have all been keeping up with the P. Diddy case on social media and asking ourselves, “Why?” and “How?” (You’ll understand if you listen to his songs and read the lyrics). Take some time off the X (formerly Twitter) feed and hear me out on some of my media recommendations this week.
The Movie: “Paper Moon”
Cinema in the 1970s peaked with break-out projects from directors like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, John Carpenter, Sidney Lumet and Peter Bogdanovich. During this age of cinema, this small batch of directors had their own style and clear vision of how their films should impact cinema in the future and deliver films we love.
Credit to Max for having an entire section dedicated to Turner Classic Movies. I stumbled upon Peter Bogdanovich’s 1973 comedy-drama “Paper Moon.” This gem, known for its unique charm, was a delightful surprise. Set in 1930s Kansas during the Great Depression, real-life father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O’Neal come together as a pair of con artists — Moses Pray and Addie Loggins.
Pray, nicknamed “Moze,” somehow gets the task of delivering nine-year-old Loggins to her aunt’s house in Missouri after her mother’s death. Moze’s attempts to take the little girl’s money backfire, and he is forced to take her on as his partner as the two swindle their way through the country. Things worsen once the duo meets the burlesque dancer Trixie Delight, played by Madeline Kahn.
Shot in black and white, the “Paper Moon” cinematography of “Paper Moon” speaks to its beauty and represents the Great Depression era it intended to recreate. Tatum O’Neal steals the screen in every scene, earning her an Oscar for supporting actress and making her the youngest recipient at 9-years-old.
What makes this film a classic is not just its lack of political correctness or excessive love. It’s the depth of its story and how it portrays Loggins smoking cigarettes, using profanities and swindling adults. These elements bring out the charm in the story and make for great comedy, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.
The Show: “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV”
From praising the film “Paper Moon” — a story which involved a child actor and her father — to talking about the lack of a relationship between a child and their parent on the new Max documentary “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” The documentary unveils the behind-the-scenes physical and mental abuse during the late 90s and early 2000s child actors experienced on the Nickelodeon television sets. For the generation that grew up with shows like “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” “iCarly” and “Victorious,” we were unaware of the creepy things happening once the cameras were not rolling.
It is interesting to watch some of the things now that went on over our heads while we were watching the show as kids. The documentary interviews cast members from “The Amanda Show” and “All That” who were child actors and have since left Hollywood and their acting careers behind due to the trauma they suffered at the Nickelodeon studios.
The most challenging part of understanding the documentary is how neglectful the parents of these child actors were and how they lived vicariously through their children with hopes of living off them one day — not knowing they were being abused at the hands of those who were trusted the most.
The Album: “If That’s What It Takes”
If you’re a fan of soft rock, Michael McDonald’s body of work is a prime example of the genre. Perfect for sunny days or when you’re not in the mood for any music that might be too harsh of a sound. McDonald’s sound fits the subgenre of “yacht rock,” from the first track to the last; his first studio album, “If That’s What It Takes,” delivers all the hits. As the lead singer of the Doobie Brothers, McDonald gave us hit songs like “Minute By Minute” and the timeless “What A Fool Believes.” His soulful baritone gave us classics from his album like “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” “I Gotta Try,” or “That’s Why.” McDonald’s outlook on heartbreak breaks through in the album’s biggest hit, “I Keep Forgettin’,” as it has more of an R&B influence than his previous work. The album “If That’s What It Takes” allows McDonald to perform romantic ballads, which his voice matches up for.
I recommended a loving comedy film and a soft rock 80s album to a dark documentary. You call it a range of emotions… I call it an average Monday.
